Echocardiographic values for normal conditioned and unconditioned North American whippets.

Background: Echocardiographic reference intervals have not been reported for North American whippets, or for whippets that have undergone pet-level athletic training.

Objectives: To develop normal echocardiographic reference intervals for North American whippets and investigate differences in echocardiographic parameters based on athletic conditioning in pet whippets engaged in competitive sports.

Animals: One-hundred healthy North American whippets.

Use of radiographic measurements to diagnose stage B2 preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs.

Objective: To investigate the usefulness of radiographic measures of the left atrium and ventricle as surrogates for echocardiographic criteria in identifying dogs with stage B2 preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD).

Animals: 56 client-owned dogs with preclinical mitral regurgitation attributed to MMVD examined between April 19, 2016, and November 22, 2017.

Procedures: Medical records were retrospectively searched, and data collected included age, body weight, heart murmur grade, and echocardiographic and radiographic measurements.

ACVIM consensus statement: Guidelines for the identification, evaluation, and management of systemic hypertension in dogs and cats.

An update to the 2007 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) consensus statement on the identification, evaluation, and management of systemic hypertension in dogs and cats was presented at the 2017 ACVIM Forum in National Harbor, MD. The updated consensus statement is presented here. The consensus statement aims to provide guidance on appropriate diagnosis and treatment of hypertension in dogs and cats.

Echocardiographic effects of dexmedetomidine-ketamine in chinchillas ( Chinchilla lanigera).

Alpha-agonist anesthetic combinations are often used in rodent anesthesia but no information about their effects on cardiac function in chinchillas exists. The purpose of this study was to utilize echocardiography to evaluate the cardiovascular effects of dexmedetomidine-ketamine anesthesia in chinchillas. Echocardiographic examinations were performed in eight adult chinchillas under manual restraint and following dexmedetomidine (0.

Severity of Mitral Valve Degeneration Is Associated with Chromosome 15 Loci in Whippet Dogs.

Mitral valve degeneration (MVD) is the most common form of heart disease in dogs, frequently leading to left-sided congestive heart failure and cardiac mortality. Although breed-specific disease characteristics and overrepresentation point towards a genetic origin for MVD, a causative mutation and complete molecular pathogenesis are unknown. Whippet dogs are overrepresented in incidence of MVD, suggesting an inherited component in this breed.

QUANTITATIVE PLANAR AND VOLUMETRIC CARDIAC MEASUREMENTS USING 64 MDCT AND 3T MRI VS. STANDARD 2D AND M-MODE ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY: DOES ANESTHETIC PROTOCOL MATTER?

Cross-sectional imaging of the heart utilizing computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been shown to be superior for the evaluation of cardiac morphology and systolic function in humans compared to echocardiography. The purpose of this prospective study was to test the effects of two different anesthetic protocols on cardiac measurements in 10 healthy beagle dogs using 64-multidetector row computed tomographic angiography (64-MDCTA), 3T magnetic resonance (MRI) and standard awake echocardiography. Both anesthetic protocols used propofol for induction and isoflourane for anesthetic maintenance.

Aortic tear and dissection related to connective tissues abnormalities resembling Marfan syndrome in a Great Dane.

Aortic tears and acute aortic dissection are rarely reported in dogs. This report describes a case of aortic dissection and probable sinus of Valsalva rupture in a young Great Dane with associated histopathologic findings suggestive of a connective tissue abnormality.

Accuracy of Doppler echocardiographic estimates of pulmonary artery pressures in a canine model of pulmonary hypertension.

Objectives: To compare noninvasive estimates of pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) obtained via echocardiography (ECHO) to invasive measurements of PAP obtained during right heart catheterization (RHC) across a range of PAP. To examine the accuracy of estimating right atrial pressure via ECHO (RAPECHO) compared to RAP measured by RHC (RAPRHC), and determine if adding RAPECHO improves the accuracy of noninvasive PAP estimations.

Animals: 14 healthy female beagle dogs.

Multi-centered investigation of a point-of-care NT-proBNP ELISA assay to detect moderate to severe occult (pre-clinical) feline heart disease in cats referred for cardiac evaluation.

Objective: To prospectively evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a point-of-care (POC) N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) ELISA to assess the likelihood of moderate to severe occult heart disease (OcHD) in a clinical population of cats suspected to have heart disease.

Animals: One hundred and forty-six asymptomatic client-owned cats with a heart murmur, gallop rhythm, arrhythmia, or cardiomegaly.

Methods: Physical examination, blood pressure measurement and echocardiography were performed prospectively.

Effects of two different anesthetic protocols on cardiac flow measured by two dimensional phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging.

Companion animals are routinely anesthetized or heavily sedated for cardiac MRI studies, however effects of varying anesthetic protocols on cardiac function measurements are incompletely understood. The purpose of this prospective study was to compare effects of two anesthetic protocols (Protocol A: Midazolam, fentanyl; Protocol B: Dexmedetomidine) on quantitative and qualitative blood flow values measured through the aortic, pulmonic, mitral, and tricuspid valves using two-dimensional phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging (2D PC MRI) in healthy dogs. Mean flow per heartbeat values through the pulmonary artery (Qp) and aorta (Qs) were compared to right and left ventricular stroke volumes (RVSV, LVSV) measured using a reference standard of 2D Cine balanced steady-state free precession MRI.

Systemic hypertension and hypertensive retinopathy following PPA overdose in a dog.

A 4 yr old spayed female Labrador retriever was examined 4 hr after ingesting an overdose of phenylpropanolamine (PPA). Clinical signs included anxiety, piloerection, mucosal ulceration, cardiac arrhythmia, mydriasis, and hyphema. Clinicopathologic abnormalities included elevated creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), proteinuria, and pigmenturia.

Prediction of first onset of congestive heart failure in dogs with degenerative mitral valve disease: the PREDICT cohort study.

Objective: To identify risk factors for first-onset congestive heart failure (CHF) in dogs with degenerative mitral valve disease (DMVD).

Animals: Eighty-two dogs with and without CHF secondary to DMVD were retrospectively assigned to a derivation cohort. Sixty-five dogs with asymptomatic DMVD were recruited into a prospective validation cohort.

Pulmonary hypertension in canine degenerative mitral valve disease.

Pulmonary hypertension secondary to degenerative mitral valve disease has been recognized clinically for many years in veterinary medicine, and clinical diagnosis of this syndrome in dogs has been enhanced greatly by widespread use of echocardiography and Doppler echocardiography. Medical therapy is now available to treat this clinical complication of mitral valve disease, making timely diagnosis even more important to patient longevity and quality of life.

NT-proBNP, NT-proANP and cTnI concentrations in dogs with pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension.

Objectives: To compare [NT-proBNP], [NT-proANP] and [cTnI] between control dogs with respiratory disease without pulmonary hypertension (PH) and dogs with pre-capillary PH, and to assess the accuracy of [NT-proBNP], [NT-proANP], [cTnI] to predict Doppler-derived peak tricuspid regurgitation (TR) gradient.

Animals: 20 dogs. 8 control dogs with respiratory disease with no PH and 12 with pre-capillary PH.

Ocular lesions associated with systemic hypertension in dogs: 65 cases (2005-2007).

Objective: To characterize ocular findings in hypertensive dogs, determine prevalence of hypertension in dogs with ocular disease suggestive of hypertension, and examine possible relationships between degree of hypertension and ocular disease.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Animals: 65 dogs initially referred for blood pressure measurement (n = 22), ophthalmic examination (25), or both (18).

Feline systemic hypertension: Diagnosis and management.

Practical Relevance: the clinical importance of feline hypertension has been recognised for many years and most feline practitioners are quite familiar with this syndrome. Once systemic hypertension is identified, long-term management of the patient is needed to avoid catastrophic (eg, blindness due to retinal detachment) or subtle (eg, accelerated renal damage) target organ damage.

Patient Group: feline systemic hypertension is most commonly a complication of renal disease and hyperthyroidism, both diseases of older feline patients.

Comparison of plasma cardiac troponin I concentrations among dogs with cardiac hemangiosarcoma, noncardiac hemangiosarcoma, other neoplasms, and pericardial effusion of nonhemangiosarcoma origin.

Objective: To determine whether plasma cardiac troponin I (cTnl) concentrations can be used to identify cardiac involvement in dogs with hemangiosarcoma, exclude cardiac hemangiosarcoma in dogs with noncardiac hemangiosarcoma, and identify cardiac hemangiosarcoma in dogs with pericardial effusion.

Design: Cohort study.

Animals: 57 dogs (18 with confirmed [5 dogs] or suspected [13] cardiac hemangiosarcoma, 14 with confirmed hemangiosarcoma involving sites other than the heart [noncardiac hemangiosarcoma], 10 with pericardial effusion not caused by hemangiosarcoma, and 15 with noncardiac nonhemangiosarcoma neoplasms).

Pulmonary hypertension in dogs: diagnosis and therapy.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) has been recognized as a clinical syndrome for many years in veterinary medicine, but routine accurate clinical diagnosis in dogs was greatly enhanced by widespread use of echocardiography and Doppler echocardiography. Most cases of PH in veterinary medicine can be categorized as precapillary or postcapillary. These subsets of patients often differ with regard to clinical presentation, response to therapy, and prognosis.

Retrospective analysis of an implantable loop recorder for evaluation of syncope, collapse, or intermittent weakness in 23 dogs (2004-2008).

Objectives: Cardiac arrhythmias as a cause of syncope, collapse, or intermittent weakness can be challenging to diagnose. The purpose of this paper is to retrospectively review the diagnosis and outcome of 23 cases of syncope or collapse in dogs that had a Reveal Plus ILR recorder placed as part of the diagnostic evaluation.

Animals, Materials And Methods: Medical records of 23 client-owned dogs that were presented for evaluation of syncope, collapse, or intermittent weakness were retrospectively reviewed.